Sigourney Weaver discusses 55-year age-gap kiss in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'

Sigourney Weaver has explained how she navigated a kiss scene with a character 55 years her junior in the upcoming film Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Weaver, 76, said the scene required careful handling due to the age difference between her character and the human character Spider, played by Jack Champion, 21.

“We had to be very delicate about that scene because it included a kiss,” Weaver said. She clarified that she did not kiss Champion in real life, noting that he was 14 or 15 during filming, which began in 2017 using motion-capture technology.

Instead, director James Cameron, 71, devised a method to ensure the scene was appropriate. “James asked Jack to pick someone I could kiss and he did. Then I imagine when I wasn’t there, they picked someone appropriate for Jack,” Weaver explained. She said the precautions taken were “quite legitimate” and necessary to address the significant age difference between the actors.

Weaver added that once the scene was completed in post-production, the interaction between the characters felt authentic. “I believed it. It’s so genuine between the two of them and any concern about Jack’s real age and my real age, I think there’s no room for it there,” she said.

The film, part of James Cameron’s Avatar franchise, features advanced CGI and motion-capture techniques, allowing the actors to portray characters with significant age differences while maintaining viewer immersion. Fans and media outlets have noted the careful approach taken to address sensitive scenes involving younger actors.